Cabinet locking device



Sept. 1, 1964 M. BERK CABINET LOCKING DEVICE Filed June 9, 1961INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,147,930 CABDJET LOCKING DEVICE Marianne Berk,Chicago, ilk, assignor to Berk Research Corporation, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Filed dune 9, 1961, Ser. No. 116,1ti3 3 Claims.(Ci. 292-488) This invention relates to a safety locking device. Inparticular, a device adapted to make it difficult for children of tenderyears to obtain access to kitchen cabinets and the like. This inventionalso relates to an improved snap hook and lock engaging unit.

A primary purpose of my invention is to provide a safety locking devicewhich is adapted for securing the doors of kitchen cabinets and likecontainers so that the contents are kept away from the reach of youngchildren.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a safety snap hook andlock engaging unit which can be easily and quickly locked and unlockedby an adult but which is unlocked with great difficulty by youngerchildren and is virtually impossible to unlock by children of tenderyears.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a safety lockingdevice that is quickly adjusted to operatively secure cabinet doors withfacility.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a safety lockingdevice that can be assembled for operation with auxiliary retaininghandles.

It is yet another object of my invention to provide a locking unithaving improved snap hook elements and an improved locking means elementfor said snap hook.

I have accomplished the foregoing objects and other objects which willbe apparent by providing an improved lock engaging unit secured to oneend of a tape of adjustable length and an improved snap hook at theother end of said tape. My improved device operates by using the tape toencircle retaining handles or knobs located on each side of the openingjuncture of cabinet doors to prevent said doors from being swung to anopen position. The tape is secured by means of the improved snap hookand lock engaging unit. My invention is usefully adaptable to existingcabinet doors having fixed handles or knobs thereon in any spacedpositions; it is further useful in that it is adapted to operate with anauxiliary retaining handle that can be placed in operating position oncabinet doors not equipped with such retaining handles, or to beutilized as the second handle in single-doored structures.

The safety locking unit will be understood by reference to the attacheddrawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the safety locking device in lockedengagement,

FIGURE 2 is a separated top plan view of the snap hook unit and the lockengaging unit,

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the snap hook unit in lookingengagement showing one of the safety features in operation,

FIGURE 4 is another side elevation view showing the second safetyfeature of the snap hook in operation,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the safety locking apparatus madeoperational by an auxiliary retaining handle.

FIGURE 1 shows the tape generally designated as 1 secured to a pair ofhandles 2. Secured to one end of the tape is the snap hook unitgenerally designated as 3. The snap hook 3 is affixed to the tape 1 byinserting one 3,147,530 Patented Sept. 1, 1%64 end of the tape 1 throughslotted means in the body of the snap hook, folding the tape back uponitself and securing the tape by a snap means 4 which is describedhereinafter in greater detail.

The snap hook unit illustrated in FIGURE 1 has a curved body section 6,side edges 7 and 7, a terminal edge 8 and an end portion 14. Immediatelyadjacent said terminal edge 3 is a forward depending member 10 spacedfrom a rearward depending member 11. FIG- URE 1 shows said spacedforward and rearward depending members 10 and 11 only on one side edge7, but the opposite side edge 7 also has a pair of correspondingdepending members 10 and 11', aligned directly opposite from dependingmembers 10 and 11. This is best indicated in the top plan view of thesnap hook unit in FIGURE 2. The foregoing spaced depending members canbe positioned a short distance from the terminal edge 8 but should beproximate thereto.

At the end portion 14 of the snap hook 3 is secured one end of a springbar 12. The spring bar 12 extends in spring action relationship againstthe curved body section 6 and terminates between the depending members10, 10 and 11, 11. The spring bar 12 preferably extends as far as therearward depending members 11 and 11', but the bar 12 can operativelyextend beyond this point. The illustrated spring bar 12 has a broad baseat the point where it is secured to the end portion 14 of the curvedbody section 6 and it is then tapered to a width corresponding closelyto the inner width of the curved body section 6 between the dependingmembers 10, 10' and 11, 11. Such a tapered spring bar 12 exerts a strongspring action relationship against the curved body section 6.

The end of the tape 1 having the snap hook unit 3 secured theretocomprises one terminal end of the tape of adjustable length. The otherterminal end has secured thereto a lock engaging unit generallydesignated herein as looking ring 20 consisting of a plane continuousband having two substantially parallel members 21 and 21' joined by avertical member 27. The locking ring 29 is divided by a single member 22to define a forward clearway 23 of smaller size and a rearward clearway24 of larger size. The unit 20 is shown preferably secured to the tape 1by permanent rivet means 25.

The unit is locked by placing locking ring 20 in pressing action againstthe spring bar 12 so that the rearward clearway 24 passes below thedepending members 10, 10' and 11, 11 into resting position as shown inFIGURES l and 5. The face 15 of each forward depending member 10 ispreferably defined by an inward are 16 to form an inwardly curvedprofile. This inwardly curved profile of the forward depending members10 and 10' facilitates the locking operation because it allows thevertical member 27 of the locking ring 20 to pass more easily betweenthe forward depending members 10 and 10' and the spring bar 12.

It is apparent that the unit can be easily and quickly locked by anadult by merely performing the foregoing locking engagement. It willalso be apparent that once the unit is locked, it is virtuallyimpossible for a child of tender years (e.g., 5 years or less) towithdraw the locking ring 20 from out of the snap hook unit 3. In anyattempt to unlock the units, the child of tender years must performseveral difficult manual operations. The child must depress the springbar 12 by a pressing action with the thumb while simultaneously exertinga counter pressure with the forefinger against the curved body section6. At the same time, the child is forced to use the other hand tomanipulate the locking ring because both hands are required to disengagethe locking device. This manual muscular performance is extremelydifficult for a child of tender years; however, if the child succeeds indepressing the spring bar 12 below the clearance of the dependingmembers and 10, it is still necessary to clear the locking ring past thedepending members so that the forward clearway 23 bypasses the dependingmembers 11 and 11'. There are several safety features of the unit whichmake it highly unlikely that this maneuver will be successful. The firstsafety device is the length of the depending members 10, 10' and 11, 11'which extend to a point which makes it additionally difficult to performthe action. The spring bar 12 must be depressed to a far greater degreethan just merely freeing it from contact with the inner wall of thecurved body section 7. The body section 7 is curved inward in such amanner as to offer ease of operation for an adult who can exert pressurealong the length or across body section 7 and spring bar 12. Yet bodysection 7 and spring bar 12 are designed to be operationally difiicultfor a child due to the size and length of a childs fingers. If the childsucceeds in passing the unit 20 past the first pair of rearwarddepending members 11 and 11', such depending members will immediatelypass in close association through the forward clearway 23 to lock theunit as shown in FIGURE 3. If, perchance, the child succeeds in passingthe unit beyond the rearward pair of depending members 11 and 11', thenthe forward clearway 23 will be caught by the forward pair of dependingmembers 10 and 10, as shown in FIGURE 4.

A further advantage of the safety locking unit is that it is adaptableto any cabinet door arrangement. The length of the tape can be adjustedto accommodate any distance which separates retaining handles or knobs.This is accomplished by providing adjustable means on the tape 1 so thata desired length can be attained for snugly encircling the retaininghandles or supporting shafts of knobs to gap the distance therebetween.The embodiment selected for illustration herein will be best seen inFIGURE 3. The tape 1 is passed through the snap hook unit 3 at slottedmeans and turned back upon itself. The tape is secured by a tack andreceptacle unit 4 shown completely assembled in FIGURE 3. Thenonassembled unit (not shown) consists of a tack and receptaclearrangement, as shown by the dotted outline in FIGURE 3. The tack ispermanently fixed through a spacing of lesser diameter formed by annularconverging shelves in the receptacle (indicated in FIGURE 3 by dottedlines in the side view). A threaded recess in the tack is caught by theshelves and retained in locked position. Therefore, once the desiredlength of the tape is determined, the tack is merely pushed through thefolded tape by a slight pressure and locked to the other half of thereceptacle unit.

In particular cabinet door arrangements wherein only one retaininghandle is found, an auxiliary retaining handle serves to make thelocking unit operable. This auxiliary retaining handle generallydesignated as is shown joined to two flat metal arms 33 located in thesame plane. Each arm 33 has a right angle member 31 contiguoustherewith, which right angle member 31 is secured to the inside of acabinet door or drawer by one or a plurality of screws 32. It is thusseen that this auxiliary handle 30 can be atfixed with ease and speed tomake the safety locking unit operable on doors having only one retaininghandle. In cabinet doors that have no arcuate handles of the type shownfor retaining the tape, the auxiliary handle also serves to make thelocking unit operable. In such a case, a similar auxiliary handle 30 isaffixed to the inside face of the door or that face which lies in flushengagement with the doorsill of the cabinet. The arrangement of thissecond auxiliary handle is not shown but its function can be readilyunderstood by noting how the auxiliary handle 30 is affixed to theinside of the doorsill in the previous description. A like auxiliaryhandle in like manner is attached to the inside of the door cabinet, anda tape, shortened to the desired length, is retained by the handles inaccordance with the teaching of the foregoing description.

The description of the invention has presented an embodiment wherein apair of forward and a pair of rearward depending members are adapted tocoact with a locking ring having a smaller clearway to receive a pair ofsaid depending members in close association. It is to be understood thatthe teaching of this invention encompasses embodiments having aplurality of paired depending members coacting with a plurality ofsucceeding clearways in a lock engaging ring.

The foregoing invention can now be practiced by those skilled in theart. Such skilled persons will know that the invention is notnecessarily restricted to the particular embodiments presented herein.The scope of the invention is to be defined by the terms of thefollowing claims as given meaning by the preceding description.

I claim:

1. A safety snap hook assembly comprising a curved body section havingan end portion, side edges, a terminal edge, a spring bar fixed to theend portion and extending in spring action relationship against theterminal edge, at least one member depending from the curved bodysection at a side edge and proximate to the terminal edge, a lockingunit having a rearward clearway to receive the curved body section whenthe spring bar is depressed, and a forward clearway dimensioned topermit close passage therethrough of the depending member.

2. The snap hook assembly of claim 1 further characterized by andincluding a plurality of members depending from the curved body sectionof each side edge.

3. The snap hook assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that afirst pair of opposed members depend from the curved body section ateach side edge and, spaced therefrom, a second pair of opposed membersdepending from the curved body section at each side edge.

4. The snap hook assembly of claim 1 further characterized by andincluding a tape of adjustable length having one end joined to thelocking unit and the other end joined to the snap hook.

5. The snap hook assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that thelocking unit has a flat body section having a rearward clearway and aforward clearway.

6. A safety snap hook assembly comprising a curved body section havingan end portion, side edges, a terminal edge, a spring bar fixed to theend portion and extending in spring action relationship against theterminal edge, a plurality of spaced members depending from each sideedge proximate to the terminal edge, a locking unit having a rearwardclearway to receive the curved body section when the spring bar isdepressed and a forward clearway dimensioned to permit close passagetherethrough of a depending member on each side edge.

7. A safety snap hook assembly comprising a curved body section havingan end portion, side edges, a terminal edge, a spring bar fixed to theend portion and extending in spring action relationship against theterminal edge, a first pair of opposed members depending from the curvedbody section at the side edges and proximate to the terminal edge, asecond pair of mernbers spaced therefrom and depending from the curvedbody section at the side edges, a locking unit having a. rearwardclearway to receive the curved body section when the spring bar isdepressed, and a forward clearway dimensioned to permit close passagetherethrough of the first pair of depending members.

8. A safety locking assembly adapted to make it difficult for childrenof tender years to obtain access to kitchen cabinets and the like whichcomprises, in combi- 5 nation, a tape of adjustable length to snuglyencircle retaining handles, said tape having joined to one end a snaphook having a curved body section with an end portion, side edges, aterminal edge, a spring bar fixed to the end portion and extending inspring action relationship against the terminal edge, a plurality ofspaced members depending from the curved body section at the side edgesand proximate to the terminal edge, the other end of said tape havingjoined thereto a locking unit having a rearward clearway to receive thecurved body section when the spring bar is depressed and a forwardclearway dimensioned to permit a close passage 6 therethrough of amember at each side edge of the curved body section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS968,084 Schartow Aug. 23, 1910 1,538,989 Hancock May 26, 1925 2,151,587Cassileth Mar. 21, 1939 2,849,749 Erickson Sept. 2, 1958 2,899,229 JenksAug. 11, 1959 2,936,478 Hegji May 17, 1960

1. A SAFETY SNAP HOOK ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A CURVED BODY SECTION HAVINGAN END PORTION, SIDE EDGES, A TERMINAL EDGE, A SPRING BAR FIXED TO THEEND PORTION AND EXTENDING IN SPRING ACTION RELATIONSHIP AGAINST THETERMINAL EDGE, AT LEAST ONE MEMBER DEPENDING FROM THE CURVED BODYSECTION AT A SIDE EDGE AND PROXIMATE TO THE TERMINAL EDGE, A LOCKINGUNIT HAVING A REARWARD CLEARWAY TO RECEIVE THE CURVED BODY SECTION WHENTHE SPRING BAR IS DEPRESSED, AND A FORWARD CLEARWAY DIMENSIONED TOPERMIT CLOSE PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF THE DEPENDING MEMBER.